It's Been Awhile
by FatzRockz
Summary: SUMMARY: Edward is in the army and Bella can't handle him being away anymore so she files for divorce. What happens when Edward meets two of his kids in a coffee store 14 years later? And one has written a book about him? Will it be too late?
1. PROLOGUE

SUMMARY: Edward is in the army and Bella can't handle him being away anymore so she files for divorce. What happens when Edward meets one of his kids in a coffee store 14 years later? Will it be too late?

PROLOGUE

BPOV

My husband was finally coming home today…Edward is in the army. We got married straight out of high school and we are now both 28 years old and have 5 kids.

He joined the army after our wedding. I thought I can live with it but I can't.

I can't answer all the questions from our children about why daddy isn't there. I can't spend every moment of my life wondering if he's dead or alive. I can't raise 4 children by myself. But I also can't ask him to quit his dream of serving our country. It wouldn't be right.

That is why I have the divorce papers ready. I'll always love him, don't get me wrong, but I think I deserve to be first in someone's life. To Edward the army is always his main priority. I don't want to be something he goes to when he can't be there anymore. And I don't want our children to feel like that either.

Instead of giving him an ultimatum-me or the army-I'm going to make the decision for him. I know that it sounds cruel but it's his dream…And he has to live his dream. Who am I to take that away from him?

Everyone has had a fairytale and met their Prince Charming. Some books just close before others.

And my children need a father figure in their lives. He can't be that from another continent. The thing I'm most upset about though is lying to him.

He won't let me go if he knows I'm still in love with him. So I have to lie to him, myself and our lawyers. I have to say the biggest lie of all.

I have to tell him that I don't love him…

3 WEEKS LATER

It's a done deal. Our divorce is finalized and he is going back to wherever he came from 3 weeks ago. I will never forgive myself for the pain that I put in his eyes when I told him.

It took my everything not to kiss him and tell him how much I love him and beg him to stay with us.

I got sole custody of the children…He got everything else. I know he would have given me the world if I asked him to but I refused. I didn't want any reminder of him. Nothing. The children are reminder enough.

Anthony is our oldest child (9 yrs old): he has his father's crazy bronze hair and crooked smile, but my chocolate brown eyes.

Marie & Andrea are twins (7 years old): Marie has my long, wavy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. But she has always been daddy's little girl. Andrea is a tomboy. She cut her brown hair to shoulder length and has her dad's green eyes.

Daniel is the youngest. He was conceived on Christmas Day (4 years old): He has my brown hair but it sticks everywhere like Edward's. His green eyes have some brown sparks and he can get everything he wants with that mischievous smile of his. Just like his dad.

They are the only reason that I'm living now. Oh God, if you are up there please stop me from screwing my kids up.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

THESE DAYS (RASCAL FLATTS)

EPOV

14 YEARS LATER

It's been 14 years since I last saw my Bella. I guess I should stop calling her mine now. I know it's my fault that we divorced. I wasn't there enough. I told her I'd quit the army for her but that was when she told me that she didn't love me anymore.

Now she's probably happy and married to someone else… My kids are probably calling _him_ daddy now. Anthony-who is 23 now-could be introducing his girlfriend to his new '_daddy_'. Marie and Andrea-who are now 21-could have introduced their boyfriends to _him_. Having _him _stare them down and threaten them. Daniel-who would be 18-is probably giving _him _a headache with his mischievous I'm-18-so-I-can-do-what-I-want attitude.

_And the next thing you know, I'm reminiscing, dreaming old dreams, wishing old wishes, like you would be back again_

I walked into the new coffee shop that opened a block away from my apartment. I quit the army a few years back hoping she might come back. And I've opened up a restaurant. I have 2 branches in the city already. We're looking into a third.

_I head off into my job, guess not much has changed. Punched the clock, head for home, check the phone. just in case. Go to bed, dream of you. That's what I'm doing these days._

There was a couple in front of me in the line. They looked familiar. They were arguing about something.

"Anthony, get mom the blueberry muffin!"

"No, Andy. For billionth time she prefers the apple bran muffin."

"Ugh! You're so annoying!"

That's when I recognized them. The eyes, the hair, the voices… But it can't be. I decided to try anyway. If it's not them then a couple of strangers think I'm weird. Who cares?

"Anthony? Andrea? Is that you?" I asked.

They both turned to look at me.

"Excuse me, but do we know you?" Marie asked.

"Um, I don't know. Is your mom Isabella Swan?" I asked. It's probably not them anyway. This happened once before. I thought this kid at the airport was Daniel. His mom slapped me.

"How do you know our mother?" Anthony said getting protective. I wouldn't want to start a fight with him right now. He looks like he works out.

"Do you not recognize me, Anthony? Edward. Edward Cullen." They both stared at me. Andy's mouth was open and Anthony had a faraway look in his eyes.

"I'm your father." I practically whispered.

"I don't have a father! You have no right to call yourself that! You're not my father! You're nothing but a sperm donor who killed my mother's spirit!" Anthony roared before storming out of the coffee shop…without placing the order.

I desperately turned to look at Andy. She was just staring at me. Her shoulder length hair was now like her mother's waist length locks. She was wearing a dress...which was something my little tomboy never did before. She's grown up into a beautiful girl.

_Hey baby, is that you? Wow, your hair got so long. Yeah, yeah, I love it, I really do._

"Don't worry about Anthony. He knows the most about your relationship with our mother. He wrote a book about it. Interviewed her and everything. Dan and I refuse to read it so we don't know much. Andrea read it and refused to talk to mom for 2 weeks before she finally understood. Anyway, I should get going before Anthony does something stupid. Nice meeting you…dad." I smiled when she said that. "Here's my number-call me so we can meet up. I'm so excited that we've finally met. I feel like I know you already! Well I guess I do know you because you're my dad but still! Sorry, I'm blabbering. My mom says I'm like my aunt Alice. I've never met Aunt Alice. She's your sister right? Can I meet her now that you here? Anyway like I said I have to go now. You should read the book. It's called _It's Been Awhile_. Anyhoo, bye dad." She ran out of the store like an energizer bunny on crack. She is like Alice.

I went up to the counter to order my coffee. Maybe God is giving me another chance… I smiled as I walked towards the book store, coffee in hand. I should probably read the book before phoning Andy, my daughter. I hope the rest of them, and my Bella, take the same liking to me as she did. I hope that Anthony turns out to like me too… The thing is: my life is vacant without them.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

**THE FIGHT**

**EPOV**

**5 MONTHS LATER**

It's over. My life is gone. There is no point in living anymore. No one would miss me. Except Emmett-my business partner-but he has his wife Rosalie.

I'm sure most of you think I'm being a melodramatic whiner, but you didn't have to go through what I just did. I bought my son's book… _It's Been Awhile_ by Anthony Cullen.

Reading the book was absolute torture. It took me 5 months to read the short 182 pager that would normally take me one day. At most parts I felt like throwing myself out of the window.

I fought for my country... I fought for my dignity… I fought for my business… I fought for my beliefs… I fought to survive… But I never fought for my family… I never fought for the love of my life… I never fought for my Anthony, Marie, Andrea or Daniel… I never fought for my Bella.

The book depressed me but I never felt like causing myself to die a painful and agonizingly slow death until the Epilogue.

_Some of you may be wondering what happened after the divorce. After the night I found my mother sobbing as she packed our bags so we could leave the last reminder that we even had a father. _

_We moved to the other side of Seattle and tried our best to move on. It was difficult for my mother, my savior. Not only did she have to forget the man who she dedicated her life to-the man who she gave up her dream for-she had to live with the constant reminders. She had to live with us._

_Sometimes, she'd mess up my crazy bronze hair and I'd see the sad faraway look on her face. In my senior year of high school I shaved my hair off, hoping it would help ease the pain. She cried. She didn't want us to know how much she was suffering… And at the same time she didn't want us to hate our father._

_What she didn't __realize__ is that no matter how many stories she tells us about the _amazing_ man our father was; no matter how many memories we may have, the fact remains: he wasn't there._

_He wasn't at my first soccer match, he wasn't at Daniel's first debate, he wasn't at Marie's first concert and he didn't share our joy-or sadness-when Andrea got accepted to Cambridge and moved across the Atlantic Ocean._

_Every time there was a big milestone, rite of passage, Dad & Daughter event or a simple walk in the park we were reminded that we didn't have a dad, just a sperm donor._

_I won't say that I hate him-you can't hate a man you never knew-but I will say that I will never forgive him for what he did to my mother._

_I will forgive him for leaving me. I will forgive him for making my siblings cry. I will forgive him for giving me the title of 'man of the house'. I will forgive him for not fighting for us. I will forgive him for choosing the army over us. But I won't forgive him for the pain he caused my mother; for making me feel helpless every time I passed her locked room door and heard sobs; for breaking her._

_Many people ask me what I would say to him if I was ever to meet him in the future. My answer seems to shock them every time. I would thank him. Forget everything that was said in this book because there was one thing that he did right._

_He loved my mother and gave her some of the best days of her life. Before the days of the army she was blissfully happy… She was a different person. When they dated in high school she felt like the only thing that mattered to him._

_I aspire to be like him in that. If I am to ever fall in love; I am going to treat my love-my life-the way he treated my mother in high school. And I could only hope that she would feel the same amount of love, dedication, forgiveness and compassion that my mother felt towards The Man Who Was Never There._

I started crying again. I'm going to fight for my family. I'm going to fight for my Bella. I am going to show them that I _can_ be there for them. I'm going to fight harder than I have in any war. And it's going to be a lot more difficult than what I'm used to. This time my military intelligence won't help me.

And I'm afraid that I might lose…again.

I need to call Marie.


	4. Chapter 2 and a half

CHAPTER 3 and a half

LET US BEGIN

EPOV

Here I am…sitting in that same coffee shop where I saw two of my kids 5 months ago. I called Marie and we decided to meet here. I was five minutes early so I decided to order a coffee while I waited.

Just as the waitress placed the coffee in front of me Marie walked in. Her long brown hair was in a messy bun. She looked just like her mom did when I first saw her. Beautiful.

She saw me sitting by the window and waved before going to order her drink. When she sat down beside me she smiled.

"Hi dad! How are you?" She tucked a shock of hair that fell loose behind her ear.

"I've been better. What about you? And everyone else?" I tried to seem happy. It was a miserable attempt.

"I'm doing alright. I've opened my own clothing store featuring clothes from young designers, including myself. Anthony's wife, Sandra, gave birth to the cutest baby boy I've ever seen and last night Andrea called us from England and said she's coming back home for a month. She'll be here in a week. Oh, and Daniel started a new social responsibility project. He has teams consisting of 7 people each going to different orphanages and homes to help kids with their homework."

Wow, looks like my family is better off without me.

"Marie, I read Anthony's book, and I have to know the truth: does Bella still love me?"

She looked down and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Her lips were in a thin line and her eyes were glassy. The waitress took that moment to give her drink. She did nothing but stare at the table, her eyes shifting as if she was looking for an escape. She let out a sigh.

"Mom never not loved you. Every time she felt underappreciated, neglected, resentful or even angry at you, she never said anything bad about you. I think the worst thing she ever said about you was that you had horrible taste when it came to sport. She really doesn't like rugby or cricket." She laughed a bit and I smiled sadly remembering the first time I got her to watch a rugby match. I've never seen Bella so confused until that moment.

"_It's like football, but it's not football. What's the point?" Cricket was even worse._

"_So South Africa is playing India in what you call a 20/20? What is that? And why is that girl wearing a top that says AB IS MY BABY? Who the hell is AB? What kind of name is that?"_

"Your mom always thought I was a bit strange." The tears were threatening to spill out and my vision was blurry because of them.

"Dad, we love you. We really do. But if you want to work your way back into our lives then you're going to have to start with Anthony first. He's always been the most protective of us. He works at Rosie's Auto Repairs. Do you know where that is?"

I felt some hope in my heart. He works with Emmett's wife.

"Yeah, I do. I'll call him tomorrow. I have to get to work. Goodbye sweetheart." I said half standing.

She stood up and kissed my cheek. "Goodbye daddy." And she disappeared. Looks like I have one kid on my side. Three more and a wonderful soul mate to go. I shook my head before going to the restaurant.

Thankfully Emmett was there.

"Hey Em! Can I have Rosalie's number? I want to talk about one of her employees!"

**Sorry it's so short! I've been sick for the past week and a half, busy with school and babysitting and my cousins are here for the weekend. Add the soccer to that and I barely have enough time to make a nice hot cup of tea! Which is why this only chapter 3 and a half! lolz**

**AB-AB De Villiers he plays for South Africa. And yes that top exists.**

**Rugby and football are not similar…at all. That's like saying that cricket and baseball are similar. It just doesn't work.**

**I'm not a huge fan of rugby but I support my boys any where the go (Go Bokke!) and I love cricket.**

**For those of you who aren't aware the rugby world cup is actually going on in New Zealand at the moment and our South African Springboks are doing very well ;)**

**If, or when, we do win this world cup it will be our second time in a row! In 2007 we beat England in the finals. Such a proud moment…for us.**

**LOVE YOU ALL! THANKS FOR READING! CRITICISM WILL BE WELCOMED BUT PLEASE: NO FLAMES.**


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